Vance & Another v. Vance, Executrix was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1883. The case involved a dispute between two siblings over the estate of their deceased father. The plaintiff, William Vance, argued that his father had promised him a portion of the estate, but that his sister, the executrix of the estate, had refused to honor the promise. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the plaintiff, finding that the father had indeed made a promise to the plaintiff and that the executrix had a duty to honor it. The Court held that the executrix was liable for the amount promised to the plaintiff, and ordered her to pay the amount. The Court also held that the executrix was liable for any damages caused by her refusal to honor the promise. This case established the principle that executors of estates have a duty to honor promises made by the deceased, and that they can be held liable for any damages caused by their refusal to do so.

In Vance & Another v. Vance, Executrix, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a will that had been partially destroyed by fire should be admitted into probate court as valid. The majority opinion held that since there was no proof of fraud or bad faith on the part of the testator in making his will and it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that any material alteration had occurred due to the fire damage, then it should be admitted into probate court as valid. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision and argued that when a document is partially destroyed by fire so much so that its contents cannot accurately be determined with certainty then it must remain invalid for purposes of admission into probate court. He reasoned further than even if there were no evidence of fraud or bad faith on behalf of the testator in making his will before its destruction by fire, still such an incomplete document would fail to meet all legal requirements necessary for validity under state law and thus should not be accepted as valid testamentary instrument in any case.